Ida LeClair, Maine's Funniest Woman, has a new home. You can visit her anytime at idaswebsite.com

Well, me and the girls were down to the Bangor Mall the other day, livin’ la vida loca, and when it came time for lunch we dropped into Panera.

As I ordered a Chipotle Chicken Panini, and I’m thinkin’, If I’d walked in here ten years ago, and saw that on the menu, the only word I’d recognized would be chicken. I mean, who come up with the idea of the Panini, anyway?

So, I’m at Mikey’s Meat Market on Saturday. I buy the basic stuff down to our A&P, of course: ground turkey, chicken breasts and the like. But when it comes to steak, roasts and such, I go to Mikey’s. It’s a good old fashioned meat market with people behind the counter who really know their stuff, including how long to cook just about anything you’re buying.

Charlie and me had a nice weekend together. Didn’t do anything special, just a few errands on Saturday morning, a walk with Scamp in the afternoon and then down to the Bonanza for supper. On Sunday, church, of course, and in the evening we scooted over to the DQ for Peanut Buster Parfaits.

So I’m sittin’ here this morning, thinkin’ about how lucky I am, considering we almost didn’t make it to the altar. Forty years have passed, but God, I remember it like it was just yesterday.

Last Thursday was girls night out, so Celeste, Rita, Betty, Dot, Shirley and me buzz over to the all-you-can-eat-buffet down to the Hukilau Polynesian Restaurant, out on the edge of town. Were we ever psyched!

‘Course, I’m maintaining now on Weight Watchers, so I can’t exactly go hog wild. But I’d saved all my extra points for a splurge. I had 49 of my weekly’s left, plus the remaining 12 for the day. If I get crazy, I’m thinking, I’ll just hop on my bike, and ride like the dickens every day ‘til my next weigh in!

Well, summer’s in full swing here in Mahoosuc Mills. You can tell by the number of out of state plates on the cars, passengers lookin’ all around. The American Flags are lined up along Main Street ready for our July 4th celebration.

And every weekend there are yard sales galore! Me and my niece Caitlin were out doin’ the rounds a couple of Saturdays back. We’re at Sandy LaBranche’s, and I’d just spied a set of frog prince and princess salt and pepper shakers, when I hear Caitlin callin’ me from the other side of the driveway.

Well, Charlie and me went to Town Meeting last week, and, I swear, it made me despair for the future of humankind. Really!

I hadn’t been in awhile, I confess. Charlie goes more than me. At breakfast he says, “Ida, we’re voting on a bunch of stuff tonight. Why don’t you come along?”

I start lookin’ around the kitchen, you know, to see if there’s any chores on the horizon, dust bustin’, cleanin’ the oven or what not, that might preempt such an outing.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been goin’ at a mile a minute, lately. Seems like there’s just so much to do, and not enough time to do it. All good stuff for the most part, but yikes! I’m all hepped up, and didn’t even realize it ‘til the other night.

Charlie and me went shopping for a new gas grill at Home Depot this weekend. The old one was plumb worn out, so it was time. I was on board with it.

But let me tell you, I was not on board for two hours of comparison shopping, debating the merits of this one or that one, different “features” and questions, questions, questions, like it’s some kind of fancy sports car or something. Honest to God. And of course, there’s a whole bunch of other guys there doin’ the same thing.

I just love yard sales. I love going to ‘em, and I love having ‘em. ‘Cause the thing is, if you go to a lot of yard sales, you have to have a yard sale every once in awhile to get rid of the stuff you bought at the other yard sales, right?

Oh, I’ve gotten some wicked good stuff at yard sales. Like one of them crocheted toilet paper covers, only with a poodle on top. (I kid you not). And at Debbie Ledoux’s last year, a bobble head moose and a hand-painted wooden frog for my frog collection. Score!

They’re back! Yes, I’m pleased to announce that blackfly season is officially underway here in Mahoosuc Mills. We got kind of gipped with mud season this year ‘cause there wasn’t much snow, but, believe you me, those bebittes never disappoint.